Vancouver

It's been five years since Phil and I went on a trip together, so when we had the opportunity to travel to Vancouver to celebrate his dad's Lifetime Achievement Award with his company, we jumped on it. The trip was entirely impractical--two days of traveling for two days of being there--but worth every inconvenience and cost.

What made it worth it:
The look on Phil's dad's face when he saw us. He thought it was just another company trip and had no idea that his sons were flying out to surprise him. When we got there, it was dinnertime and we were going to put our bags in the room, freshen up, and surprise him at dinner. But when the elevator doors opened, he was stepping out, so after a "What are you doing here?" and a wink from us, he was beside himself excited and emotional. Smiles. Tears. Hugs all around. After all the years he's supported and encouraged and gone out of his way for us, we loved every second of giving that to him. The scales will never be balanced, but we hope he felt an inkling of the gratitude for and pride we take in him.

The time away together, uninterrupted. It took a little while to get used to not having kids, and of course we missed them terribly, but it didn't take too long to adjust to life without them either. After all, we've had many more years without them than with them. With the exception of a mild panic attack on the plane (see picture of what I envisioned being my impending doom), we soaked up our time together. I read two books and two magazines, we went on a date, we (tried) to sleep in, we drank our coffee hot, we walked and talked and spent lots of time with other adults. It was glorious. And the reunion with our kids was pretty awesome too.

The beauty of Vancouver. We packed in the activity in our short 48 hours in Vancouver. The highlight by far was hiking Grouse Grind--1.8 grueling miles of steps with one breathtaking view at the summit. Many thanks to Phil and his brother for making interesting conversation to keep my mind off my burning thighs.

photo credit

We also biked the seawall, which really did look like this picture for 9+ miles. Blue water, blue sky, distant mountains, city skyline, green space. All in one. About as close as I get to Heaven on Earth, I think.

photo credit (pardon the lady in purple's backside)

Feeling yucky, silver linings, and my word for 2014

For the past two weeks, we've been passing around illness like it's a Handy-Snacks in the school lunch room. So, we rang in the new year last night by going to bed as early as possible, which was still 10:30 because Noodle decided it was a good night to scream. A lot. Poor thing has been constipated I think because of the medicine I'm on for mastitis (again). Moo moved from a stomach bug to a fever/cough/congestion combo that's lingering on for what feels like an eternity. Christmas Eve night, Phil got the stomach bug, and Noodle's reflux has been flaring up.

So.

We've hardly slept.
We're exhausted.
We feel cooped up.
We feel defeated before the day has even begun.
It's an accomplishment just to get dressed every day.

But enough whining. The silver linings in all this?

Phil got sick when his work day was light the next day.
Phil was off and we were at my parents' (read: help available) when I was sick.
Noodle has not gotten the stomach bug or the cough.
These sicknesses are temporary; I can't imagine the stress and difficulty of chronic illness.
This life is temporary; we were made for something bigger than these day-to-day toils.

A friend asked me about my New Year's Resolution(s) this year, and told her I hadn't even had the brain power to think of it. Today feels like any other day with spills and snot and nap times and wrangling my toddler out of his favorite PJs.

While I don't have a resolution per se, I do have a word that I pray drives this year: HOPE. Hope for Heaven. Hope in Jesus. Hope for restoration in the world, my family, and my own heart. Hope that's anchored in the soul, the deep places that only God knows and only God can meet, despite circumstances. Hope that aims to look for the good in all circumstances, even when all the answers aren't there and it hurts. Hope that knows without a doubt that God is up to something all the time even if all I can see is black black black. And it's good. That's the hope I long for.

Moo is TWO!

So this guy turned TWO on Saturday. A week before, he and I went on a special mommy-Micah date to Party City and I let him pick out whatever themed decorations he wanted. We came home with all things Thomas, since he's recently added trains to his list of vehicle love. Thanks to a miscommunication complete non-communication between Phil and me about who was in charge of taking pictures, the day went fairly undocumented, but I'm pretty sure the little guy didn't care.

We started the day with his favorite breakfast in the whole world: donuts! Let's do the math:

2 donut holes + 2 candles = 1 happy 2-year-old.

We let him open one present from us before the party, and he carried that little golf caddy around all morning with such pride. Precious. My mom stayed with us the night before to help with the party, so he got to open his very special present from her that morning as well: VTech tracks and cars! Win.

Sixteen family members arrived at noon, so we conveniently fed and put Moo down for a nap just  before they arrived so he'd make it through the afternoon. We all ate and caught up and by the time Moo woke up, everyone was ready for cupcakes and presents. The best present of all: Moo's favorite cousin and best friend, Zeke, made the trip from Chattanooga to be there!

Here are a few things this guy is into:

• Loves his baby sister. I mean, really loves her. Of course, he really, really hates her too when I'm feeding or changing her, but other than that, he's about the most tender big brother I can imagine. He loves for me to put her in his crib with him when I get him up from his nap, and he just lies there next to her on his tummy talking to her and kissing her. He loves to tell her about what he's doing and what she should be excited about and it will be a miracle if she ever talks because he's taking care of all the talking for her.
• Still into all things with wheels. All things. We recently tried to whittle down our car collection since it's grown exponentially since he was born and we could only find two cars that he genuinely doesn't play with. 
• Sings all day long. Sings lots of songs I recognize and also makes up his own.
• Loves power tools. Got a pretend drill for his birthday and is convinced he can fix anything. If only that were true...
• Loves to pretend. His cars talk to each other. He says good night to inanimate objects. His stuffed animals might as well be real. Nuff said.
• Is extroverted and friendly. Says hello to just about anyone and anything. The other day I heard him say, "Hi, red motorcycle. Nice to meet ya, red motorcycle." Love it.
• Has a great sense of humor. He laughs easily and loves to make others laugh, often accompanied by mischievous but adorable behavior. :)
• Speaking of mischievous behavior, this guy can throw a tantrum with the best of toddlers. Thankfully, time out is pretty effective for now. 
• Has gotten into reading more and likes to read "by myself," quoting or making up parts of books and concluding with "the end."
• Loves to cook with me. I admit that sometimes I suggest making banana bread or pancakes just to stave off a tantrum. And it works. Boy can crack eegs (sort of), stir dry ingredients, and knows what the word sauté means. :)
• Is obsessed with his backpack. Noodle "gave" it to him when she was born and he wears it the entire time he's in Sunday school, except when they have to change his diaper. Pretty sure he's convinced that he's the coolest kid in the class when he wears it. Love that burgeoning independence!
• Is a little encourager. Exhibit A: my parents live on a mountain and when we drove to the top of it recently, he put his little fists up in the air and yelled, "Hurray, Mommy! You made it up the mountain!" Thanks, Moo.
• Skills: can count to 10, sing the ABCs, identify several letters, knows what letter his name starts with, can (kind of) jump, and talks and talks and talks. Oh, and he's really good at pushing mommy's buttons too. 
• Loves water...sometimes a little too much. Would play in the hose in 55 degree weather if we let him, loves to play in the rain, has no fear of pools, and would splash all the water out of the bath and onto the bathroom floor if it weren't a no-no. 
• Foods he loves: Will eat almost anything, but LOVES M&Ms, sunflower seeds, black olives, fruit leather, macaroni and cheese, banana bread, and cereal. 
• Loves to be outside and get dirty. Give him some open space, a stick, some spider webs, and some acorns and this kid could entertain himself for a while. 

We are so grateful to know and love this boy, and I'm grateful to get to spend my days with him in sweet (sometimes trying) simplicity. As he says, "Daddy work at hospital. Mommy stay home play cars with Moo." Yep, that's pretty much my job. And it's awesome.

A friend remembered

Do you have that day--that distinct day in your memory--when everyone was happy together one last time? One last time before something irreversibly changed it all?

That was this day for me last year, the last time I was with my friend Saidie and her family before she was diagnosed just days later with incurable cancer.

It was her birthday and Phil, Moo, and I were honored to be the only non-family guests at the party other than their priest. As with all their family birthdays, we laughed, ate delicious Lebanese food, and were filled with happy, happy, happy.

I do remember Saidie telling her sister, though, about a strange pain she'd been having on the right side of her chest. A detail at the time, insignificant until her diagnosis: stage four bile duct cancer. It had spread to her lungs and liver, and she didn't need to tell us what that meant.

She was my mother's age. 

And she was my mom-away-from-home for the past eight years.

Four and a half months later, she was gone. 

She'd want me to remember the good times. All the times we laughed and drank and were merry. The times we dreamed together and celebrated. The times we smiled knowing smiles across a room or discussed the latest sale she found or boasted about how amazing her daughters were (and are).

But it's hard to think only of that when I see reminders of her everywhere I look. I see the gifts she gave Moo at his first birthday and at Christmas and I wish so badly that she could see him play with them, that she could know him and hear him say her name. I drive by her church or her favorite restaurant or I want to get her opinion on baby room ideas because she always had a good eye for decorating and I can't.

And there's that aching void that never goes away but lessens with time, and it hasn't been enough time yet. It still hurts and I miss her and I wish I could be eating Lebanese food with her today and laughing, laughing, laughing until our faces hurt.

But she's also here with me all the time. In her daughters, who are like sisters to me. In my memories. On my mind and in my heart.

She's here. 

And she's not. 

All at the same time. 

Whew!

For the past eight years, we've lived in a series of transitions, being told by institutions and hospitals where we would spend certain years of our lives. Four of those were in Birmingham for medical school, one was in Chattanooga for residency, and the final three were back in Birmingham to finish residency. Eight. Years. All we ever wanted was to settle down and be done with others telling us where to live and for how long.

But I forget how nice it is to have someone else tell you those things, to take on that ultimate responsibility of deciding. Not to mention having someone to blame if when you're unhappy with life.

Here we are, though, at the end of that eight-year journey. We're settling now--not compromising, but putting down roots. For the first time in our married lives (or really our memories), we're living in a place for the foreseeable future with no definite end in sight. And we love it. Roots? Community? Familiarity? Yes, please. But we're also feeling the weightiness that we made the decision to live here, a decision that will affect us and our children for years to come.

Mostly, after eight grueling years of med school and residency, we're just excited and relieved to be on the other side, not as an arrival point, but as a new beginning. Last Monday Phil started his REAL JOB, and it's gone about as well as a new job can go. For the way my man has worked diligently and humbly, struggling and triumphing with equal vision over the last eight years, I'm grateful and so, so very proud. Mostly, we're grateful to our Emmanuel--God WITH us--for leading us through this season, down to details we didn't even knew mattered.

And just for funsies, here's a little photo trip down memory lane from this journey. Wish I had Phil with a backpack on for his first day of each year, but I'm not that forward-thinking or sentimental, so what you see is what you get. Enjoy!

2005--Phil's 1st year in med school

2006

2007

2008

Match Day 2009

Med school graduation 2009

2009/2010

2010

2011

2012

2013

Three Things Thursday

Thing One: our trip to New Hampshire

We spent the last week in New Hampshire with 60+ members of Phil's extended family. Don't worry--it wasn't one of those family reunions where you have to wear name tags and eat three different kinds of Jell-O salad; we actually know and like each other (and the food was awesome). While the weather wasn't perfect, we made the best of it, and enjoyed reconnecting with people we'll only get to see a handful of times in our lifetimes. I've only seen most of Phil's cousins two other times before this trip (our wedding, if that even counts as spending time with people, and the last time we did this, three years ago), but they're so quick to love that I always feel welcomed. Moo did great on the planes and was obsessed with any girl of any age (oh my) as well as canoeing, kayaking, and riding on the pontoon boat--pretty much anything water-related. Love that kid's sense of adventure.

Unfortunately, I got a stomach bug toward the beginning of the week and just yesterday started feeling like myself again. I even felt like eating three mini Reeses cups and later three chocolate chip cookies, so clearly I'm back. :)

Thing Two: book rec
I recently finished reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). I always loved her on The Office and knew she was one of the writers, and I also like her new show The Mindy Project, so it was an easy summer pick for me. The book is one of those you'll finish in two days tops.

Some nonfiction is written by people who have interesting stories but who aren't writers; this isn't one of them. Because Kaling is a writer, the both what she says and how she says it is interesting and well-crafted. And really, really hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. And I almost never laugh out loud when I read. If you're looking for an easy, funny, summer read, this book is for you. (Girls only, though.)

Thing Three: funny Moo story
It was Sunday and somehow Moo knew that it was church day (possibly tipped off by the dress I wore--a rarity in my case). In the process of getting all of us dressed and out the door, Moo said "church."

"Yes, buddy. We're going to church where we learn about Jesus and how much He loves us."

(as if I was the stupidest person on the planet) "Momes."
(Translation: "No, Mommy. We don't learn about Jesus at church. We learn about Moses.")

I'm glad my VBS story time stuck with him. Here's him one day after VBS playing "Momes" at home:

Never too early! Thankfully, Jesus made a comeback this week and is all he wants to talk about (a sweet post for another day).

(And yes that's a paci in his mouth. When he's not sleeping. Don't judge. We've been going through teething hell over here the last two months. I'm fine with it.)

Update on Hannah

First, many thanks to all who have taken time to comment on, pray for, and think of my sister Hannah following her horrific accident just 15 days ago.

Many of you have asked more about what happened. I apologize for being so cryptic in my last post, but since we really didn't know, I didn't want to hypothesize too much. BUT. To answer some questions, she wasn't texting and she hadn't been drinking. It was a drizzly evening going down a mountain and around a nearly 90-degree turn. We think there are two probable explanations: either the truck hydroplaned and she lost control of it quickly since it was such a sharp turn, or, as the tower thinks, one of the wheels came off the axle and that caused her to lose control of the truck.

Either way, she's alive.

As for her recovery, she's doing better than expected. Her doctor allowed her to take off the turtle brace after just two weeks (something we thought she'd be in all summer) and has cleared her to do whatever she feels comfortable doing. Most activities still cause her a lot of pain, but she can't injure herself further by being active, so she's slowly getting back to normal. Her teachers have been incredibly understanding and generous, so she's not having to feel the stress of school on top of dealing with a concussion. She's going to be in pain for a while, but she's doing remarkably well and gaining strength each day.

I got to see her this past weekend and was so grateful to (gently) hug her neck and tell her how much I love her. God is good.

Why I believe in miracles

Sunday, April 28 isn't just another day anymore; it's become a day with significance because it's the day my sister should have died in a horrific car accident and didn't.

Last Sunday night, my sister Hannah, almost 18, was driving down the mountain (they live on a mountain) to meet a friend for a late dinner. No one's sure exactly what happened and Hannah doesn't remember much either, but the truck flipped several times and slammed into a tree on the driver's side. She was near the bottom of the mountain that had some residential areas, so someone saw it happen, called 911 immediately, and ran to help her. For nearly an hour, she was upside down as the paramedics tried to get her out with the jaws of life, first through the passenger's side, then through the driver's side. When both were unsuccessful, they finally landed on pulling her out the back window, which somehow worked.

She shouldn't be alive.

In fact, the tow truck guy said that the only area that wasn't crushed in completely was exactly where she was sitting, which is a miracle when you look at that picture above. Here's a picture the tower took:

I still don't know how her head wasn't crushed.

If I saw that truck being towed down the road, I would have thought the driver was killed for sure, or at least paralyzed.

And here's the miracle: My sister left the hospital 36 hours after she was wheeled in. 

Yes, she has injuries. 

Yes, she's in pain. 

Yes, her recovery will be long and arduous. 

BUT. 

She's here. 

She didn't have to have surgery. 

She has all her limbs. 

She has full brain function. 

She should make a complete or near-complete recovery. 

Praise the good and gracious and powerful Lord Jesus!

For now, she's sporting an upper body brace that she has to wear all the time to help a compression fracture in her back heal. She's walking with a walker to help her fractured pelvis, cracked rib, and bruised lung heal. She's taking pain meds regularly to help her cope with all over pain from being flipped in a car and slammed into a tree, and to help her sleep.

She's also a picture of strength. She doesn't think it's true, but it is. I've known it forever, but she's showing it now in this difficult place, displaying her strong character, fighting for her own recovery, longing for others to have the spotlight instead of her, appreciating her moments afresh, and taking one day at a time, with a smile when she can. I'm so very proud of Hannah and am unspeakably grateful for the miracle of her life.

Like a dream

When Moo woke up at 5:00 a.m., I was convinced it was a bad omen for our family vacation to the beach--just the three of us. And when we got 45 minutes down the road and I realized I had forgotten my bathing suit, Moo's bathing suit, and my toothbrush, I was definitely feeling pessimistic.

But.
I was all wrong.
Those were about the only bad things that happened on our trip.
The rest was like a dream. Really.

Moo was an angel in the car. Not one bit of fussing on our way there.

Stopped at a middle-of-nowhere gas station Subway for lunch and realized that it was by a state park that sat on a lake. Lovely. And spontaneous. We're never spontaneous, so that was extra wonderful.

While on vacation,

• Moo learned to clap
• We rented bikes for a day and rode to dinner, which we ate outside during sunset, and then rode back
• Moo loved the sand and water. He crawled all around the sand and kicked his feet in the water. He even let us put a little hat on him.
• Phil and I gave each other 45 minutes "off" each day to do whatever we wanted, so one day I took my journal and Nook out to the beach and another day I went for a jog. (Note to self: if you haven't been running in months and you decide you can totally crank out a 25-minute jog, beware: you WILL be sore by nightfall.)
• We watched two movies: We Bought a Zoo and October Baby. Both good in their own way. Mostly, it was nice just to have time to watch a movie together.



Not sure about the helmet at first

• The weather was perfect--low 60's to mid-80's. 

After a month where Phil was gone so much that I felt like a single mom and Moo thought "phone" and "daddy" were the same thing, it was good to reconnect, necessary to reconnect. It brought us such JOY to be together, unconnected from other responsibilities and people, and we left with sweet memories, ten videos, and about a hundred pictures. 

Some people dread family vacations, but we loved this one. And I hope that never changes.

Vacation

We didn't make our bed. Not once. 

I took a bath. 

We took a 45-minute walk alone on the beach. 

Our family of three snuggled in bed in the mornings.

We laughed a lot.

I didn't wear makeup.

I finished several cups of coffee while they were still hot.

We slept through the night. Most nights.

We spent most of our waking hours with Phil's family--people we love, love, love.

We introduced Moo to the beach and the pool and the wonder that is a lazy river.

Of course we had plenty of reality too: 

Three loads of laundry.

Bedtime fussiness.

Hot hours spent indoors.

Rainy days.

Flash floods on the way down there.

A call that our house alarm had been tripped (false, thankfully).

Blah, blah, blah.

But we were away. Together. For a week.

Limited things tugging at our time.

I barely even checked my phone and email.

I didn't write.

I only read a little.

I didn't make phone calls.

I was just PRESENT.

We spent lots of time with family. 

Talking.

Watching kids play.

Playing with kids.

Eating.

Watching a movie.

Listening to music.

Just BEING together.

And it was marvelous.

Three Things Thursday

I unashamedly ripped this idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Bethany. Three Things Thursday is for those days when you you know you need to write, but can't seem to corral thoughts long enough to make sense of them.

So, here we go: 

three things. 

in no particular order. 

life in glimpses rather than gazes.

Thing One: I'm completely addicted to Boggle on the iPad. I'm not even very good at it, but I can't stop. Even my reading has been put on hold for this new hobby. Ridiculous. But wonderful.

Thing Two: Today is my dad's birthday. I'm pretty sure he never reads this blog, but I'm also pretty sure that he's one of my favorite people on the planet, so I'll forgive him for that. :)  I love that I've been a part of his life more than I haven't, and I'm so grateful to have him in my life. A few things I love about him: he calls me sometimes just to say hello, he learned how to put my hair in a ponytail when I was a kid, he has a goobery sense of humor, he emails me sometimes just to say he's praying for me, he can take honesty (and give it), and he likes chocolate and hot chai as much as I do. Happy birthday, Dad!

Thing Three: I'm going through an identity thing right now. In just a couple of months, I'll be a stay-at-home mom after eight years of working full time. Yikes. Mostly, I'm excited and humbled to have the opportunity to stay home, but as it gets closer, I'm having to confront myself, my pride, my insecurities in ways I didn't anticipate. I've never been great at life transitions, and this is a big one, but a really, really good one. More on this later, but for now I'm processing.

Spring BREAK

Remember that vacation I needed so desperately? 

Well, I got it. 

And, OH MY, it was all kinds of wonderful.  

We spent four relaxing days in the North Carolina mountains, 

just the three of us, 

and for four days I didn't:

wear makeup

check my email

make any phone calls

leave the house where we were staying

leave my sweats (except to put on workout pants for a walk)

blog

read other people's blogs

We hardly even watched TV. The goal of this vacation was to simply BE as a family, and I wasn't bored for a moment. I was able to journal, take a bath, play lots with Moo, take family walks, play games, read together (book reviews to follow), eat an entire half gallon of my favorite ice cream (Edy's Slow Churned French Silk anyone?) by myself (!), catch up on the growing stack of magazines I hadn't had time to read, spend lazy mornings in bed getting Moo to try to roll over, and just talking and catching up with the best husband a girl could hope for. 

Mark Buchanan wrote a book on the Sabbath called The Rest of God, and in it, he argues that "the Sabbath is a day in which no other day has any claim." I love that. And this vacation felt like a relational Sabbath for us--a time when no other relationship had any claim (even though we LOVE our relationships with friends, family, and coworkers). It was just us. And it was so good. Pictures to come! 

A preview of blog topics to come:

• Another round of book reviews
• My latest addiction (besides Edy's French Silk ice cream) :)
• Moo's milestones
• Monthly recipe update (and a few recipes too!)

Moo's baptism

It was like a wedding there were so many people. Twenty, if I'm not mistaken. Every one of my siblings and their families came and most of Phil's family was able to be there as well as my grandparents. After it was all over, I had flashbacks of the hour of photos at my wedding ceremony: "Okay, now we need the grandparents. Okay, good. Now, let's get all the siblings together...no, not spouses just yet, etc." I had to laugh. But how appropriate that the baptism of my son--his engagement to Jesus--felt like a wedding.

And the dress. Let me tell you about the baptismal gown. I get that he's a boy. I really do. And I get that we go to a more contemporary church, one where there are probably people who have never even seen a baptismal gown on any baby. But don't judge.  I have my reasons. You see, that baptismal gown is 122 years old. It belonged to my great-grandfather (Moo's great-great-grandfather) and pretty much everyone on my side of the family has worn it. I love the heritage of that gown, and the reminder that God often works through families to expand the Kingdom. I love that for generations, on both Phil's side and mine, our families have claimed the name of Jesus, and our prayer is that we will continue to live Him to our child. In fact, on the day of his baptism, four generations were represented--amazing. 

On a funny note, our pastor commented that Moo was "so mellow." Little did we know, he was getting sick (hence the flushed cheeks). Oh, well. I'll take mellow over fussy when he's sick! 

Really Big Thing #2: my new niece!

A couple of weeks ago, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law brought home their daughter, Finley, from China! She has been longed for and prayed for and loved for so long and it's surreal to have her here. I had the privilege of spending some time with them this week, and it's remarkable how natural she is in their home, to see her smile, to watch her smitten older brothers play with her. She is funny, beautiful, playful, and sweet, and I pray she will know how loved she is by her family, community, and heavenly Father. Welcome home, sweet Fin!

Belated BIG news!

I was on vacation last week, which, for me, means vacation from blogging too, so I'm officially back now and it's time to catch up on some really big things!

Really big thing #1: We're pregnant & just found out this week that we're having a boy! "Most definitely a boy," according to the sonographer. :) Glad it was clear, and it dispelled any irrational fears that our child would be a hermaphrodite. We all have those irrational fears. That was (one of) mine. The ultrasound was amazing, though. Seeing him move around (he's very active), suck his thumb (or pick his nose...it was kind of hard to tell), and have a healthy report made him so much more real to us and we were all smiles leaving the room. 

Here are a couple of 4-D shots of him from the ultrasound. Makes it hard to wait to meet him!

Top right is his head w/ eyes, nose, & mouth. Not sure where his hands ended up, but I promise he has arms & hands somewhere too! Phil says it looks like his baby pictures. If so, we're in luck because he was one cute baby!

His boxer pose (and evidence of his arms and hands)! Check out his little foot too!

You might be wondering: why is Cara just now blogging about this really huge thing in her life when she's already halfway through her pregnancy? Good question. I have several answers for you. 

• Pregnancy is overtly public and intensely personal at the same time. Most of the thoughts I have about being pregnant and being a mom I'm writing in my pen-and-paper journal, for my eyes only. It's just too deep and too intimate to include in a blog like this for the world to see. 
• The purpose of this blog was to help me write more frequently and to give me an audience (a.k.a. a little motivation to write), and I want to guard against this becoming a blog exclusively about my son. While I'll love him fiercely and will probably want to write about him all the time, I really want to preserve the varied nature of this blog, so you'll probably see frequent posts about him, but not exclusive posts about him. (Disclaimer: for those of you who blog exclusively or often about your children, I think that's wonderful and I love reading about your kids and what you're doing! Keep it up! Also, I may find blogging about my child irresistible once he's in the world, so I'm not making any promises, just sharing my intentions).
• I honestly couldn't figure out a way to put "We're pregnant" into what I'll call "writer words." In other words, "We're pregnant" sounded too boring for the miracle and mystery of new life, so I was paralyzed as a writer, copped out, and wrote nothing.

On to what you really want to know:

• Due date: 11/11/11 (best. due date. ever.)
• Yes, I'm showing, but not that much. Since people have a strange curiosity about preggy pics, I'll include one here, but it's not that exciting. Promise.
• Names: We have no idea, but when we do, we won't share it until he's born. We're open to suggestions, though, so bring 'em on!

Oh, and here's what my mom gave Phil & me for Mother's Day and Father's Day. We were thinking about wearing them on a date soon to see if we can get a free dinner out of it. :) 

Really big thing #2 coming later...

Boston Marathon 2011

Let's get one thing straight: I did not run the Boston Marathon. My 45-year-old aunt, however, did, and she invited me to come along for support. Of course, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to spend extended time with one of my favorite people, take off two days of school, go to a new city, and experience the Boston Marathon from the sidelines!

You have to know that my aunt has struggled with an auto-immune disease, aplastic anemia, for ten years now and she's a cancer survivor. Keep that in mind when I tell you that she finished in the top 10% of all runners, the top 5% of all women, and 79th in her age group. Boo-yah!

The trip was full of highlights (not the least of which was the fact that there were over 100 Dunkin' Donuts stores within a 5 mile radius--no kidding). BUT the best part for me was watching my aunt in her element, watching her do what she's passionate about, seeing her on her turf. I really don't know much about running. In fact, I probably learned more about running in a 72-hour period than I had in the rest of my life combined. But there's something about seeing a person do what they love--whether or not I understand it and whether or not I share their passion for it--that gives me JOY. I was overcome with emotion watching her run toward the finish line, knowing that this was probably the most memorable moment of her running career, knowing how hard she'd worked to be there and knowing what she'd overcome in the last decade.

I get a similar feeling when I watch my friend Lauren sing, or when I see my brother play baseball, or listen to my sister tell me about her artwork. There's something unspeakably sweet about seeing people do what they were created to do and it makes me gush joy.

My aunt, running in pink!

Eric Liddell, an Olympic runner and Scottish missionary, famously said, "When I run, I feel His glory," and while I don't quite feel that glory when I run, I feel it when I write, and when I see His glory in others as they use their gifts, I get the glow of glory as an onlooker.

So, Boston was enjoyable, Dunkin' Donuts' chocolate cake glazed donuts (let's be honest: I ate more than one) were delicious, but the sweet spot of the trip was really the glow of glory I felt watching my aunt do what she was created to do: run for His glory.

Goat babies!

You might recall that my parents were the proud owners of two pregnant goats...and I say were because Maggie and Daisy (the goats) are now proud mamas of two kids each: Frodo (compliments of my 11-year-old brother) & Minuit (French for midnight), and Danny & Bubba. Minuit is the only girl and therefore has my heart since I grew up with three brothers and understand where she's coming from. We'll be selling the 3 boys, so if you're in the market...

I can (thankfully) take no credit for naming any of them, but I can say that these goat babies are oh-so-cute! From past posts, you may have picked up on the fact that I'm not an animal person, but these goat babies have changed my mind. I may not be a fully-grown-animal person, but I am definitely a baby-animal person. Did you know that within minutes of being born a baby goat can stand and walk? and that within a couple of hours they figure out how to eat? Here are a couple of pictures we took yesterday. The goats are 2 and 4 days old. Commence the ooohing and ahhhhing!

Joseph & Frodo

Phil & Minuit

Danny & Bubba (the lazy one)

"Sucklin," as Phil calls it.

P.S. I tried all day to upload 2 short videos of the goats, but blogger it was taking hours to upload and even then didn't finish, so I gave up and am posting pictures. Any suggestions or uploading video? I exported the video in the smallest format possible from iphoto and have searched the Internet for answers. Help!

Birthday dinner tradition

In the Wharton household, there is a tradition that on your birthday, you have the privilege (and responsibility) of choosing the menu for your birthday dinner. I have a theory that this tradition only improves with age: while we used to have odd combinations of macaroni and cheese, fried ham, and chocolate milk, we are progressing to more tasty (and balanced) meals. So, my sister, Lydia, turned 12 on Monday and she chose her favorites: spaghetti casserole (the child had 4 servings!), bacon (a must-have for any Lydia birthday meal), separate plates of every fruit you could imagine, including mango, and homemade chocolate chip pie. Not too bad. My other sister, Hannah, turns 14 on Friday, and, true to my theory, her menu is even better: steak, twice baked potatoes, my homemade bread, broccoli..and some kind of chocolate dessert. And there is no Wharton birthday that doesn't involve sparkling grape juice. I mean, nothing says "celebrate" like a bottle (or five) of sparkling grape juice. My mouth is watering just writing about it. I have three siblings and a sister-in-law with July birthdays, so July is a pretty delicious month in our family.

The tradition was a bit of a problem in high school when my brother and I, who share a birthday, had to create the menu together, but we figured it out. And some members of my family never grow up; my dad and one of my brothers can think of no meal more satisfying that burgers, watermelon, and baked beans. Fair enough. My birthday isn't until March and I'm already thinking about the menu...sushi? grilled salmon? steak? steak and shrimp? It will definitely involve some homemade chocolate chip cookies.

At any rate, this tradition is one that I cherish and anticipate with every birthday, not just because of the delectable food, but more importantly because of how valued it makes the birthday person feel. Cheers!